It all sounded like fun and games until this bit: “There will be five winners who will have their patterns turned into free patterns for the world to stitch along with you!”

Essentially, the company was requesting for artworks, as well as full rights to them, with exposure as its payment. This didn’t sit too well with creatives, of course, but instead of opting out of the contest, they decided to participate in it in their own witty ways.

One of the artists, cross-stitcher Sarah Fisher, designed a free-to-download pattern ridiculing DMC’s request for free work. Her illustration shows a tombstone that reads, “R.I.P. The artist died 2018 from exposure.”

“Here is my entry to the #dmcxstitchcontest, where the prize is them getting to use your pattern for free forever and ever on the promise of free exposure… Please repost this and consider making your own entry,” Fisher wrote in an Instagram post.

Other artists have similarly defied DMC’s attempt by creating snarky, anti-exposure pieces. Lo and behold, their voices were heard, and the company decided to edit its original Instagram post with offers of US$500 to all winners.